Former Kenya Premier League Golden Boot winner Masud Juma looked poised to feature in the upcoming CHAN 2024 games.

Coach Benni McCarthy has revealed that the striker, recently tied to Iran’s Esteghlal FC, is among the players eligible for the final selection for the upcoming local-based continental games, having signed for an undisclosed lower-tier side.

“Masud Juma is another player who has been communicated to us that he is back in Kenya. He has signed with a first or a second division team, and he is eligible to play.

“If I want to include him, I am welcome to do so,” he said.

The development opens the door for yet another reunion between Juma and McCarthy.

McCarthy-Masud association

The SA trainer recruited Juma at Cape Town City following his impressive exploits in the 2017 KPL campaign, where he topped the league scoring charts, scoring 18 goals for Kariobangi Sharks.

“Obviously, he is a player I know of his quality. I’ve had him in the international team, and he played a huge role in the group,” he added.

McCarthy has stated that it would be unwise of him to leave the hitman out of his team, citing the quality he possesses.

“I know his quality, and when you have that quality available, you will not be a smart coach if you have them available for the team,” he opined.

The foregoing comes moments after the trainer emphasised his technical bench’s commitment to giving the best performance in the upcoming games.

 “We decided to come back and continue our training at home. We are in the group of death, and if we don’t prepare adequately, we are going to have shortcomings, and people will ask questions. We don’t want to make any excuses. So our coming back to Kenya was the best possible way of going on with our preparations,” he added.